Vehicle-wheel.



H. ALLEN.

VEHlCLE WHEEL.

APPLICAHON HLED FEB. 1. l9H- Patented Jaii. 15, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- INVENTOR Arronnn WITNESS H. MLEN.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPHCATIUN mm m. 1. um

1,253,921. Patented $111.15, 191&

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR Arronnnn UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY ALLEN, F CLEVELAND, OHIO- VEHICLE-WHEEL.

s eciamion of team 2mm.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

. The present lnvention relates to improvements 111 the construction of vehicle wheels.

In carrying out my invention it is'my purpose to produce a vehicle wheel wherein the tire carrying rim may be easily and quickly removed from the fixed rim of the whee -wheel without the employment of tools; so

that a pneumatic tire may be readily positioned thereon or removed from the wheel. It is a further object of the invention to provide means-comprising spring pressed members associated with the spokes of a wheel or with elements connected with the spokes of a wheel that are designed to coenga e with the tire carrying rim of a ffor holding the said rim upon the fixed rim, but at the same time permitting of the ready so aration of the tire carrying rim from the" xed rim of the wheel when desired.

It is a still further object of the invention to produce spring pressed means for efl'ectively retaining a tire carrying rlm around the fixed rim of a wheel and to hold the said tire carrying rim against circumferential movement in a longitudinal direction or against transverse movement regardless of the stressor strain to which the tire carried by the rim will be sub'ected.

It is a still further 0 ject of the invention to reduce a device of this character which shall be of a comparativel simple construction; which may be rea ily applied with only slight alterations to the wheels of any ordinary vehicle; which will becomparatively cheap to manufacture, and which will perform the functions for which it is 'devisedwith accuracy and efiiciency.

With the above and other objects in view the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement ofparts set forth in the following specification and fallin within the scope of the appended claims.

n the drawings:

Figure'l is a side elevation of aportion of a vehicle wheel constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1 but taken upon a greatly enlarged scale,

mate on the line 3-'3 of Fig. 1,

F1 4 is a similar sectional view approximate y on the line 44 of Fig. 1, i

Fig. 5 is a sectional view approximat 1y on the line 55 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a erspective view of one of the bushing mem ers associated with the rim, removed from the rim,

J Fig. 7 is 0. Ian view of the rim at the meeting, end t ereof, and

Fig. 8 is a detail enlarged elevation, partly in section, illustrating the arrangement of parts when the spring pressed memher is moved to be disengaged from the bushin of the tire carrying rim, and the said rim moved circumferentially of the fixed rim to bring the same out of engage ment with the block upon the folly to permit of the removal of the tire carrying rim from the fixed rim.

The spokes 1 of the wheel may be of the ordinary wooden construction or the same may comprise tubular metal members. When the wheel is constructed of wood I or range upon the end of every other spoke or each alternating spoke a sleeve 0r socket 2 but it will be ap arent that when the wheel is constructed of metal the socket 2 may be dispensed with.

The socket 2 or the ends of the spokes when the same are tubular are provided adjacent its outer end with a continuous flange 3, the said flange being secured in any desired or preferred manner to the fixed rim 4. It will be noted that the end of the sleeve cylindrical depression or cut-away portion 6, the inner w l of which her .ig arranged approximately i a line with the openin in the fixed rim 'hrough whi h the and o Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view approxi 1 ton the socket member 2 passes and the purpose of the block and the opening 6 therein will be presently described.

The spoke members disposed between the spokes provided with the sockets or secured to the fixed rim in the manner just described, may have their outer edges flanged and securing elements passed through the said flange to connect the same to the fixed rim 4, or the said ends of the referred to spokes indicated for distinction by the numerals 7 may receive or be received in sleeve or ferrule members 8 that are provided upon their outer ends with flanges 9, the said fluiges being secured to the fixed rim, as a The socket members 2, adjacent the inner ends thereof have their side walls provided with diametrically op ositely disposed vertica-lly'extending slots 11 which terminate in angularly disposed branches 12, the slots 11 being arranged diametrically opposite each other but the branches 12 of the respective slots extend angularly in opposite directions therefrom. It will thus be noted tlrt each of the sleeves or socket members 2 is provided upon its opposite faces with substantially L or bayonet slots and these slots are adapted to receive bail or handle members 13 provided upon the stems 14 of headed members or plungers 15. The stem members are helical springs 14 which nor-.

14, at the outer ends thereof, are arranged in suitable bearing openings 16 in the ends of the spokes or in the reduced or solid ends of the sockets 2. The bores of thesocket members 2 terminate approximately in a line with or outward of the bayonet slots therein, and the-opening 16 for the stem 14 of course communicates withfthe bore of the said sleeve or socket, and consequently the angular portions of the bayonet Slots are extended a suitable distance outward of the said opening but communicate with the opening, Surrounding the stems 17 under:- erting a pressure between the heads thereof and the lower walls 19 of the-sleeve or socket mally project the plungerheads 15 outward I preferably adjacent'to'the spokes .7 of the.

wheel, isprovided with outwardly-extend-" of the sleeves or sockets for a purpose which will presently be described but it will be or sockets 2 against the pressure of the said springs. I

The fixed rim 4, at spaced intervals, and

ing enlargements 21 which are preferably rounded and which may provide contact members for the inner periphery of the tlre carrying rim 22 which is, of course, arranged sides provided with the inwardly extending angularly disposed flanges 23 whereby to receive the ribs or enlargements upon the inner edges of the casingsof a pneumatic tire (not shown), and the rim 22 at spaced de sired intervals is provided with openings within which are arranged bushings 24. These bushings may be attached in any desired or preferred manner but preferably thesame are provided with reduced extenslons whereby the shoulders between the bushings and the said reduced extensions are arranged upon the inner face of the rim and the said extensions are then bent over the outer face of the said rim. 'The bore of each of the bushings is flared from its outer to its inner end, as indicated ,by the numerals 25, and likewise the plunger heads 15 comprise substantially frusto-conical members to be snugly received in the flared portion 25 of the bushings. It is to be understood that one of the bushings is disposed, to receive one of the plunger heads and when so engaged by the said plungers the hushings are received in therounded openings 6 in ,the blocks 5. B this arrangement it will be noted that t e rim is held against lateral movement with respect to the fixed rim, and will be, of course, held against circumferential movement by the engagement of the plunger heads with the said bushings. The rim is, of course, provided with an clongated slot through which'passes the valve stem of the pneumatic tire, and the rim is in the nature of a split member, one of the ends ofthe same being'centrally provided with a at the meeting ends thereof will be thus prevented. .In addition to this, means, indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 7 of the drawings, is adapted for'seeuring the meeting'ends of the rims in a longitudinal or circumferential directlon and suchmeans may beef a nature similar to that commonly employed for this purpose. As previously stated when pressure is exerted-upon the handle members .or bars 13 to move the stems 14 and bring the heads 15 to within the socket-m'embers2, the said heads will, of course, be brought out of engagement with'the-bores 25 of the bushings 24 and Whenthe'handle members are turned in the angular portions of the bayonet slots r the bushings will be sustained in their retraeted positions. The rim is thus relieved from engagement byany' other part of the wheel exceptby the blocks 5 engaging with ,the bushings. Itwill be apparent that by movingthe rim longitudinally the circumferenop around the fixedrim :1. Therim has itstial direction the bushings may be brought 'ings 6 in the blocks and the rims ma moved laterally oil of the fixed rim 0 the wheel.

out of engagement with the rounded open- From the above description taken in connection with the drawings the simplicity of the device as well as the advantages thereof will,'it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art; to which such invention appertains without furt er detailed descri t1on.' 1 k aving thus described the invention, what I claim is: r i

1.- In combination with a wheel having a fixed rim upon the spokes thereof, and a removable rim surrounding the fixed rim, said fixed'rim having openings alining with eertain'of the spokes (if the ,wheel, and the referred to spokes having hollow ends, spring pressed plunger-s within the said ends of the referred tospokes designed to engage with the openings in the removable run,

said mentioned spokes having bayonet slots,

and laterally extending elements upon the spring pressed plungers designed to engage 1n the bayonet slots, whereby to permit of the )lunger being received in the openings of t e removable rim or being retained in the hollow end of the spoke out of such engagement.

2. -In combination with a wheel having a ,fixed rim secured to the spokes thereof and a removable 'rini surrounding the fixed rim, certain of said spokes having sockets at the outer ends thereof, the fixed rim "having o enings alining with the sock:

ets, rei orcing elements partially surrounding the openlngs, said sockets having ving openings designed to register with the openings in the fixed rim and to receive the sirin iressed Jlun or said )lun ers de- P 3 I:

signed to be retained out of such engagement when the same is moved to bring the lateral element connected therewith in the opposite branch of the bayonet slots.

3. In combination with-a vehicle wheel having a. fixed rim secured to the spokes thereof, and provided with spaced openings, and a removable rim surrounding the fixed rim, of socket members secured to certain of the spokes and to the fixed rim and communicating with the openings in the letter, said sockets having bayonet slots at the sides thereof, a plunger head and a stem therefor, an angular handle for the stem'passing through the bayonet slots spring means between the inner wall of the sockets and the plunger heads whereby to project the.said plunger heads through the said sockets, said heads being o f a substantially frusto-coni-. cal formatiom block members upon the fixed rim having substantially semi cylindrical openings surrounding the, sockets, the removable rim having spaced openings, bushings revolublyarranged in the openings,

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HARRY ALLEN. 

